Fergal slow road record is just potty
FERGAL O’BRIEN was slammed for “diabolical” slow play as he ground out a qualifying victory at the Betfred World Championship.
Dubliner O’Brien and David Gilbert set a staggering record for the longest frame ever played in the decider of their final qualifier.
O’Brien, 45, took two hours, three minutes 41 seconds to win the frame and seal a 10-9 victory that brought him back to the Crucible for the first time in seven years.
That blew the previous record out of the water, held jointly by Barry Pinches and Alan McManus, of 1 hr, 40mins 24 secs at the Ruhr Open in 2015.
Yesterday’s draw duly paired O’Brien with defending world champion and world No 1 Mark Selby in tomorrow’s first round in Sheffield.
Gilbert raged: “The pace of play was diabolical from pretty much start to finish, and it wasn’t me.
“I was 9-7 up, then the last three frames felt like they took about eight hours. It was worse than gruelling – that’s not snooker.”
Other players joined in on social media. Matt Selt said: “I’m sorry but this amount of time on a shot shouldn’t be allowed...it’s pathetic.”
O’Brien was unrepentant, saying: “You have the pressure of trying to qualify after previous disappointments, you’re running on fumes and it’s hard to think clearly after six hours.
“Did I overplay shots and double-check stuff? Probably,
FIRST RND LINE-UP Mark Selby v Fergal O’Brien Ryan Day v Xiao Guodong Neil Robertson v Noppon Saengkham Marco Fu v Luca Brecel Shaun Murphy v Yan Bingtao Ronnie O’Sullivan v Gary Wilson Liang Wenbo v Stuart Carrington Ding Junhui v Zhou Yuelong Stuart Bingham v Peter Ebdon Kyren Wilson v David Grace Mark Allen v Jimmy Robertson John Higgins v Martin Gould Barry Hawkins v Tom Ford Ali Carter v Graeme Dott Anthony McGill v Stephen Maguire Judd Trump v Rory McLeod
but such was the pressure. Some days that’s the way a frame goes, and if you’ve got lemons make lemonade.”
The already-infamous frame took 44 seconds longer than the current men’s marathon world record.
However, snooker’s No1 grinder Cliff Thorburn, in Sheffield to make the draw, backed O’Brien.
The 69-year-old Canadian, champion in 1980, said: “I remember a frame against Doug Mountjoy once at the Crucible, 22 minutes on one ball – but I hope Fergal doesn’t take too much stick.
“It’s almost life and death, it’s the world’s biggest snooker event, and you’re not doing a thing that is illegal. I admire the tenacity, even if you don’t want that every frame.
“But in that situation you’re playing for everything – your family, what you stand for, and in a decider for a Crucible place it takes the time it takes.”
Five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has been paired with debutant Gary Wilson, a 31-year-old Geordie who until three years ago was driving a taxi to help fund his career.
Wilson said: “Playing Ronnie is a great draw for me. It will be a massive and passionate
crowd, millions watching on TV and you couldn’t ask for a better one. It’s a dream come true.
“I’ll just be going out to enjoy it and it doesn’t bother me facing a big name. I know what I’m capable of and if I play well I can cause an upset.
“I’ve been to the Crucible a couple of times, once when I was nine in 1995 and I did an interview with David Vine on the BBC at the practice table. I also met Terry Griffiths and Willie Thorne.
“I like that kind of venue – I think of it as a working men’s club I’m used to playing at in the North-east.
“A two-table set-up and old guys sitting around.”